Archaeology can inspire people in all sorts of different ways. Here at Wessex Archaeology, we love to hear from people who have been inspired by the discoveries we have made and the knowledge we have shared.
 
For example, we were recently contacted by an American artist, Miriam Byroade, who had been inspired by the burial of a Bronze Age teenager, believed to be male and known as ‘the boy with the amber necklace’. The skeleton was found during excavations at, Amesbury Down and was of particular interest due to the associated amber beads and the isotopic analysis results. Atthe time the original isotope work was done, the results hinted that he may have come from a warmer climate such as the Mediterranean,although new work suggests that he may equally have grown up in Southern England.
 
The mystery of this story caught Miriam’s imagination and she was inspired to create a quilt depicting the boy and his amber necklace. She said:
 
I'm fascinated by archaeology and often find pictures of archaeological digs so inspiring for work. The Boy with the Amber Necklace is such a great story, so I made a quilt based on him – he is on the front and his beads are on the back. I wanted to thank Wessex Archaeology for their work and for sharing it online for the whole world!
View more of Miriam’s creations on her Tumblr page.
 
By Laura Joyner – Community & Education Officer